Mavericks shoot for consistency in road bout with Warriors

(Sports Network) - The Dallas Mavericks will continue a four-game road trip
Thursday night against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena.

The Mavericks have alternated wins and losses over their last six games, and
opened the road trip with a 106-104 loss at Portland on Tuesday. Dirk Nowitzki
scored a season-high 26 points, Darren Collison had 17 and O.J. Mayo finished
with 15 points for Dallas, which was outscored by a 32-24 margin in the fourth
quarter and fell to 7-17 away from Big D.

"The difference between a good team and a bad team is a couple possessions
down the stretch. For some reason, we haven't found a way to win those games
consistently," said Nowitzki, who has scored 18-plus points in four of the
past six contests.

Shawn Marion finished with 12 points in the setback. Mavs head coach Rick
Carlisle is still two wins shy of 500 in his career (498-351).

Dallas will also visit Phoenix and Oklahoma City on the swing. It has scored
100 or more points in each of the last nine games, going 6-3 and averaging
109.4 ppg in that stretch.

The Warriors hope to get some players back Thursday when they open a brief
homestand versus Dallas and Phoenix.

Point guard Stephen Curry did not play in Tuesday's 108-95 win at Cleveland
because of a sprained right ankle and is questionable this evening. Curry is
averaging 21.0 points and 6.4 assists and has undergone surgery on his right
ankle in each of the last two offseasons.

Center Andrew Bogut (ankle) made his season debut Monday at Toronto and did
not play against the Cavs to rest. He is listed as doubtful versus Dallas.

In the recent triumph over Cleveland, Klay Thompson posted a career-high 32
points and All-Star David Lee registered 20 points, 13 rebounds and eight
assists. Jarrett Jack ended with 26 points and 12 assists for Golden State,
winners in five of its last seven games.

"No matter who is out there, we're still going to play Warriors basketball,"
Lee told NBA.com. "We could have mailed it in on the last game of a road trip
tonight, but everybody stepped up with a bunch of guys out."

Golden State shot 53.6 for the game and made a season-high 11-of-16 3-
pointers, six of which were drained by Thompson. Jack was 3-for-4 from
downtown and Golden State hit its first nine 3-pointers.

In milestone news for the Warriors, Lee needs 14 points to reach 8,000 for his
career and will become the sixth youngest active player with at least 8,000
points and 5,000 rebounds, joining Chris Bosh, LeBron James, Al Jefferson,
Dwight Howard and Josh Smith.

Lee is the only player in the league averaging at least 19 points, 10 rebounds
and three assists this season.

The Warriors won the first meeting with Dallas by a 105-101 score in overtime
back on Nov. 19, when Curry scored 20 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter
and overtime. Mayo dropped in 27 points and Lee tallied 17 points and a
season-best 19 rebounds in that one to pace Dallas, which has won 13 of the
last 19 matchups in this series.